Trace-connector for hames.



J. W. McCOOL.

TRACE CONNECTOR FOR HAMES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY-28.1914.

1,175,783. Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

i FIFE.

JAMES VT. MCCOOL, 0F KENNEDY, ALABAMA.

TRACE-CONNECTOR FOR HAMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14,1916.

Application filed. May 28, 1914. Serial No. 841,601.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES WV. MCCOOL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kennedy, in the county of Pickens and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Connectors for Hames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trace connectors for hames, one of its objects being to permit of the adjustment of the trace on the hame, to adapt it for use on animals of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a simple and efiicient device of this character which is applicable to any standard type of hames now in use, suitable means being supplied to prevent the accidental displacement of the trace from the hames.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my inven tion will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a liameillustrating the application of my invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the trace engaging hook removed from the hame plate, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the trace engaging hook, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of my improved device, and Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred form of this invention, in order to illustrate the application thereof, a portion of a hame 5 is provided, which in the present instance is of the ordinary configuration, a plate 6 associated therewith, the latter being arched midway its ends, said arched portion provided with sets of vertically alined openings 7. As shown to advantage in Fig. 2, the plate 6 is raised along its longitudinal center, in order to facilitate the engagement of the trace engaging hook therewith, as hereinafter de scribed.

The trace engaging hook comprises a plate 8. one end of wh ch is formed to provide a bill S), said bill being engaged by one end of a plunger 10, the latter being mounted in the plate 8 and normallyheld in engagement with said bill through the medium of a coil spring 11, said plunger 10 having an operating finger assoc.ated therewith, so as to disengage the same from the mouth of the bill when it is desired to engage the trace therewith. The plate 8 is offset adjacent its opposite end from that on which the bill 9 is formed, as indicated at 12 and shown to advantage in Fig. 3, said opposite end being bifurcated, the terminal of the branches 13 thereof being turned into parallelism with the body, so as to provide fingers which engage through the openings 7 in the plate 6 and with the raised portion in the longitudinal center of the latter.

In Fig.- 4, a modification of my improved device is illustrated wherein a plate 6 is provided which is identical with the plate (3, shown in Fig. 1, provided with the vertically alined openings 7, said plate having depending from the bottom thereof a loopstrap 14 which is engaged with a ring 15, the latter adapted for engagement with the breast-strap of the harness. The loop-strap 1% on the end of the plate 6' is secured in the hame 5 in any suitable manner, in the present instance rivets being shown. A hook 8 is engaged through the vertically alined openings 7 of the plate 6 and is engaged with the central portion of the plate 6 in the same manner as the plate 8 is engaged with the plate 6 in Fig. 1. The other instrumentalities which are associated with the plate 8 in Fig. 1 are likewise associated with the plate 8 in Fig. 4: and are used for the same purpose.

In use the plate 6 is secured to the hame 5, as shown in Fig. l, and the hook plate 8 then engaged with the plate, by inserting the fingers 13 thereof through the openings 7 and with the central raised portion thereof, said plate 8 being off-set at 12 as previously pointed out, in order to facilitate the engagement of the same with the plate 6, at the same time, snugly engaging the plate 8 with the outer face of the plate 6. To engage the trace with the bill 9 of the plate 8, the plunger 10 is disengaged from the mouth of the bill through the medium of the finger which extends through the plate 8 from the plunger 10, said plunger being automatically reengaged as soon as pressure is released therefrom in view of the coil-spring 11.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various minor changes 1n details of construction, proportion and arrangement'of parts may be made Within the scope of the appendedcated and offset into parallelism with the.

body thereof, the branches of the bifurcation adapted for association With the hame,

the opposite end of the strap being reduced and bent to provide the trace hook, the free termIn-al of the bill of said hook, lying in clcse proximity to the body of the strap at the juncture of the offset end, and means 20 JAMES W. MoCOOL. Witnesses T. C. TIPNER, L. E. ZEANAH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

